Pepper Creative Awards invites entries

The final date for submission is March 15. New sub categories have been added under Kerala-specific category.

Pepper Creative Awards 2014 is inviting entries from creative agencies across South India for the annual awards. The eighth edition of the awards is jointly organised by The Advertising Club Cochin and Pepper Creative Awards Trust. The deadline for submission of entries is March 15.

The entries will be judged by a three-member judging panel comprising Prathap Suthan, managing partner and chief creative officer, Bang In The Middle; Priti Nair, director and founder, Curry-Nation; and Raj Nair, chief creative officer, BMB India. Suthan and Nair were part of the jury panel last year, too. The awards ceremony will take place at Gateway Taj, Kochi, on April 11.

Interestingly, the entries will be judged in Kochi this year, rather than Mumbai, as has been the case in the last few years.

Under the Kerala-specific category, new sub categories have been added this year. Earlier this category only had jewellery, textile and real estate sub categories.

The categories for which entries are invited include Agency of the Year Award, Advertiser of the Year, Art Director of the Year, Copywriter of the Year, Special Jury Award, Campaign of the Year, Press Campaign, TV Commercial, Corporate AV, Outdoor, Radio, Interactive - Web-based, Viral, Film craft, POP, Direct Mailer, Photography, Packaging, Logo Design, Unpublished works and PR and Promos.

P K Natesh, chairman, Pepper Awards 2014, says, "Unlike yesteryears, to get maximum participation from Kerala agencies, we have added more categories under Kerala-specific section this year like Hospitality, Ayurveda, Media, Animation, Automobile, Healthcare, Public Service, Home Appliances, Financial, Cinema and Retail (Malls and Supermarkets)."

According to Rajeev Menon, president, Advertising Club Cochin, more than 2,500 entries are expected for the competition, "which has become a stepping stone for creative fraternity from this part of the world to take part in other major peer reviewed national and international competitions". Last year, Pepper Creative Awards received more than 1,800 entries from 150 agencies.

On the jury, Oommen Kurian, chairman, Pepper Creative Awards Trust, says that the trio were chosen based on their experience in judging national and international awards such as Cannes Lions, Goafest and others.